Blister packages have been well known for many years. They have been used for many purposes in different types of packaging applications. In some inexpensive and undemanding applications, items can be packaged in plastic blisters with simple cardboard backing. The blister sheet and backing may or may not be adhered together.
Pharmaceutical products are often placed in tightly sealed blister packs. For safety, sanitation, and medication efficacy reasons, there is the need for a seal between a blister sheet and lid. For instance, the seal is required to keep medications fresh and unspoiled. This is accomplished conventionally by a heat seal or adhesive between the blister sheet and lid. It is also known to include a paper layer that ruptures in order to allow access to the medication. However, many consumers dislike rupture layers, as they can be difficult to operate. Blister packages with rupture layers are also aesthetically displeasing in many cases, and prevent multiple pills or medications types from being packaged in a single blister.
Problems with conventional sealed blister package assemblies also include the fact that the adhesive or heat sealing process can adversely affect the product being packaged. The resulting blister package system can be complicated and difficult to assemble. These types of systems are primarily efficient in high-volume, manufacturing applications. There is a need for a less complicated blister package that includes a label or is otherwise operable to carry printed information.
Pharmacies have increasingly had a need to package medications, including mixed medications, at the pharmacy in a manner that encourages a patient to remember to take all of their medications at the proper interval. Whereas each medication was previously placed in a distinct vial, medication(s) may be placed in a pill box that is divided into compartments for each day. The patient accesses the pills in each individual box for each day. However, pill boxes often do not seal in a manner that ensures the freshness of the medication. Moreover, pill boxes often do not indicate when the box or medication has been tampered with. It is also time consuming to fill the individual boxes.
For this and other reasons, there is a need for a self-sealing blister package that may also be labeled and would provide evidence of tampering. The sealed blister assembly of the present invention is a new packaging option that satisfies this and/or other needs in the blister package or on-site pharmaceutical packaging industries.